Characteristics of a Profession Flashcards
Describe the characteristics of a profession.
- formalized education and training, theory learned is applied to real life problems, ex. apprenticeships, internships
- authority; members are considered to be an expert in an area
- community sanction; members are recognized by the public as experts
- codes of ethics; members follow guidelines for ethical behaviour
- professional culture; history, values, norms, associations, and symbols
Self-regulation;
the government has delegated its regulatory functions to those who have the specialized knowledge necessary to do the job and are capable of governing themselves, ex. OCT
Define the role of a regulatory body:
- regulates the profession
- the goal of a College is to serve and protect the public interest
- called colleges, associations, or boards
- professionals need the authority of the regulatory body to practise their profession in Ontario, to use a professional designation, or both
Define the role of a professional association:
-exists to advocate for and advance the interests of the profession
What are the fundamental legal duties of professionals under a regulatory body?
- Controlled Acts
- Use of designated Title
- Duty to Cooperate with internal investigations
- Participation in Quality Assurance Program
- Avoiding Sexual and Other Abuse
- Reporting findings of offences/negligence
- Mandatory reporting
- Compliance with laws (e.g., consent, privacy)
What does CDO stand for?
College of Dietitians of Ontario
Examples of legal responsibilities of a regulatory body:
- Registration
- Complaints
- Investigations and Discipline
- Incapacity
- Quality Assurance program
- Patient Relations Program
Define; ethics
-standards of behaviour that tell us how human beings ought to act in many situations
Difference between an ethical problem and an ethical dilemma:
- Ethical problem; has a solution, generally acceptable to all concerned
- Ethical dilemma; does not have a solution, the best one can do is to weigh the risks/costs against the benefits to all persons affected and determine the ‘least undesirable action’
5 Principles of ethical decision-making:
- Trustworthiness: faithful devotion to duty
- Autonomy: self-determination
- Beneficence: treatment has some potential to help
- Non-maleficence: not inflicting harm intentionally
- Justice: equal distribution of burdens and benefits among many individual
Possible benefits of belonging to Professional Associations:
- Members Only website
- Access to Publications (e.g., CJDPR)
- Professional Liability Insurance
- Professional Development
- Research Opportunities
- Networking, Mentorships, Socialization into the profession
- Job opportunities
- Professional Memberships on your resume
- Eligible for awards of distinction / excellence
Responsibilities of belonging to Professional Associations:
- Maintain high standards of competence, integrity, ethics, credibility and reliability
- Develop as a professional through updating
- Collaborate with other groups for the betterment of families
- Speak out on issues of importance to the profession; promote visibility and public credibility of the profession
- Support research in the profession
